Enlightened Absolutists

Using two different colored highlighters, highlight the information that SHOWS enlightened actions/ideas in
one color, and information that does NOT show enlightened actions/ideas in another color.

PRUSSIA
I. Frederick the Great (Frederick II) (r. 1740-1786)
1. Frederick claimed that he saw himself as the “first servant of the
state”
- His reforms were mostly intended to increase the power of
the state
- The peasantry did not really benefit from his reforms
2. Allowed religious freedom (although less so for Jews)
3. Promoted education in schools and universities
4. Codified and streamlined laws
5. Freed the serfs on crown lands in 1763
6. Improved state bureaucracy by requiring examinations for civil
servants
7. Reduced censorship
8. Abolished capital punishment (but not in the army)
 Tried to stop corporal punishment of serfs
1. Encouraged immigration
2. Encouraged industrial and agricultural growth
D. Social structure in Prussia remained heavily stratified
1. Serfdom on noble lands maintained
2. The “Junkers” (Prussian nobility) were the backbone of Prussia’s
military and the state
 Hobbies:
o Artistically inclined - composed music, played the flute, wrote poetry.
 Hated German culture/Admired French Culture
 Rebuilt towns, gave seeds & horses to farmers, drained marshes, established. new industry
o Only on royal lands
o Only on royal lands
 Responsible for 23 years of war

RUSSIA
II. Catherine the Great
A. Pugachev Rebellion (1773)
1. Eugene Pugachev, a Cossack soldier, led a huge serf uprising.
2. Catherine needed support of nobility and gave them absolute control of serfs.
B. Imported western culture into Russia
1. Architects, artists, musicians and writers were invited to Russia
C. Educational reforms
1. first private printing presses.
D. Restricted the practice of torture
E. Allowed limited religious toleration
1. stopped policy of persecuting Old Believers (Orthodox Church)
2. Jews were granted civil equality
- Jews had suffered significant persecution in Russia:
 Jews could not be nobles, join guilds or hold political offices
 Not allowed to participate in agricultural work or certain trades
 F. Promised representative government and constitution
- Never gave, probably never intended to give
o Strengthened local government led by elective councils of nobles.
o Created Legislative commission for grievances
- Had to give up commission on constitution to attend Turkish War
o Charter of Nobility
- Increased royal control over serfs
A. Shortcomings of Catherine’s reforms
1. Only the state and the nobility benefited
2. Serfdom even more severe
B. Territorial growth under Catherine the Great
C. Offered to buy Diderot’s library to help him out of financial troubles and delay taking possession of it until
his death.
D. Interested in her image

AUSTRIA
Maria Theresa (1740-1780)
 War fought to maintain throne
 Still believed in divine mission of the Hapsburgs
 Church Reform
o No new monasteries, no entry until 24, clergy pay taxes
 New Bureaucracy
o Centralized government
 Military Reform
o Training of troops and officer corps

Joseph II (r. 1780-1790)

1. Ruled with his mother, Maria Theresa, as co-regent until her death in 1780
2. Major reforms
- Abolished serfdom and feudal dues in 1781
 opposed by many peasants and Nobles
- Freedom of religion and civic rights to Protestants and Jews
- Reduced the influence of the Catholic Church
- Allowed freedom of the press to a significant degree
- Reformed the judicial system and sought to make it equal for all citizens
- Abolished torture and ended the death penalty
- Expanded state schools
- German the official language
- Freedom of Expression
 Vienna a literary center
- Religious Toleration
 Emancipated Jews (ennobled some)
- State control of religion
 Confiscated church property & modernized ritual
- Tax Reform
 Serfs can be taxed
- Legal Reform
 Witchcraft trials stopped, abolished death penalty, brutal punishments stopped, no class
distinction in law
- Abolished personal servitude
 Peasants can move, marry, & trade